Barrel for a bat assembly and ball bat

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a barrel comprising cast metal, composite or plastic for use in a bat assembly; a bat assembly comprising a barrel portion, an end cap and a handle; and a ball bat. The barrel may have uniform wall thickness or may include structural elements disposed on an inner surface to improve stiffness and reduce weight. The barrel and bat may further comprise a weighted insert for an asymmetrical center of gravity, allowing controlled spin to be imparted on a struck ball based on the angular orientation of the bat.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 13/829,241, filed Mar. 14, 2013, entitled “BARRELFOR A BAT ASSEMBLY AND BALL BAT,” which is a Continuation-in-Partapplication of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No.13/741,100, filed Jan. 14, 2013, entitled “VARIABLE LAUNCH CONTROL BAT,”which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/631,858, filed Jan. 13, 2012, entitled “NOVEL DESIGN AND PROCESS FORHIGH-PERFORMANCE BAT DESIGNS, FEATURING VARIABLE LAUNCH CONTROL,” bothof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed in general to sporting equipment, andmore particularly, to a high-performance ball bat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ball bats play an integral role in amateur, school, college andprofessional ball sports, such as baseball and cricket. Bats aregenerally made of metal, composites, or various combinations thereof.Bats can be monolithic (i.e., single material) in the barrel region, ormultiwall in design (i.e., multiple materials). The history of metalbats is significant and can be traced to the early 1970's when thealuminum bat was first developed and commercialized. The NationalCollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved aluminum bats in 1974and aluminum has been the dominant metal bat material for decades.

Bats have generally been improved to increase the rebound velocity ofthe ball struck with the bat. Unlike wood bats, hollow aluminum orcomposite bats have variable barrel stiffness, defined as the hoopfrequency. Reducing the hoop frequency of a bat equates to softening thebarrel, resulting in an increase in batted ball speed. This can beaccomplished by decreasing the wall thickness of the hollow bat and/ordecreasing the stiffness of the barrel region of the bat. Stronger,albeit more expensive, metal alloys allowed bat designers to “thin-out”the impact zone without the bat denting, resulting in more of atrampoline effect and higher and higher performance. The historicaltrend in metal bats has been to thin out the metal wall, decreasestiffness, reduce hoop frequency and increase rebound velocity.

Recent changes have been implemented by various administrative bodies,such as the NCAA, limiting rebound velocity of ball bats for playersafety. A new “Batted-Ball-Coefficient-Of-Restitution” (BBCOR)requirement went into effect for college players Jan. 1, 2011 and forhigh school players Jan. 1, 2012. The BBCOR standard replaced theprevious “Ball-Exit-Speed-Ratio” (BESR) requirement, which had been inplace for many years. The BBCOR requirement is a lower rebound velocityrequirement than BESR, and meeting the BBCOR requirement means movingback down the rebound velocity versus barrel stiffness curve in thedirection of wood bats (i.e., stiffer bats having lower reboundvelocity). The new BBCOR requirement has thus hampered 40 years ofinnovation in “hotter bats” that trended toward maximizing reboundvelocity through better alloys and more creative designs that decreasedbarrel stiffness.

The challenge today is to find ways to increase bat performance withoutincreasing the weight of the bat. Presently, meeting the BBCORrequirement by simply increasing the wall thickness of a high-strengthaluminum alloy bat, results in increased barrel weight and cost. Theincrease in barrel weight is particularly problematic in that it makesit more difficult for players to swing the bat fast, (and thus hit theball further), and it adversely effects balance of the bat, making themfeel heavy. Given these challenges, there is an ongoing need to designimproved high-performance bats that meet the new BBCOR requirementswhile minimizing barrel weight and cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present disclosure is directed at a barrel for use in abat; a bat assembly comprising a barrel portion, an end cap portion anda handle portion; and a ball bat. These bats may comprise cast metal andmay have uniform or non-uniform wall thickness. In various embodiments,these bats can be non-metal, such as composite or plastic. The bats maycomprise internal structural elements or features disposed around theinner surface for a non-uniform wall thickness. In various embodiments,the structural elements may comprise raised ribs disposed on an innersurface to improve specific characteristics of the bats such asstiffness at a reduced weight.

The present disclosure is also directed to an asymmetrically weightedbat. These bats may comprise a thicker wall segment bulging into theinterior, or may include a weighted insert secured into a recessdisposed into an outer surface, which shifts the center-of-gravity (CG)from the central axis out in the direction of the thicker wall segmentor the weighted insert. The present disclosure also provides a methodfor a player in a ball sport to control the spin imparted on a struckball, and consequently the flight of the struck ball, by holding theasymmetrically weighted bat in a particular angular orientation whenstriking the ball.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, these bats can bemonolithic or multiwall. In various embodiments, the bats can comprisealuminum, stainless steel, titanium, metal matrix composite (MMC),nickel, zinc, magnesium, composite or plastics. In various embodiments,the bats comprises cast metal. In various embodiments, these bats can becast from any metal suitable for metal casting, or molded from anycomposite or plastic, or any combinations thereof. In variousembodiments, low-cost cast technologies are used to produce these bats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure,and together with the description serve to explain the principles of thedisclosure, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a barrel withend caps in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a barrelcomprising a uniform wall thickness;

FIG. 3A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of anasymmetrically weighted barrel comprising a thicker wall segment;

FIG. 3B illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of anasymmetrically weighted barrel comprising a weighted insert;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a ball bathaving a non-uniform wall thickness in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of asymmetrically weighted bat having a non-uniform wall thickness.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of a barrel inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of anunsymmetrically weighted barrel having a non-uniform cross-section inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates an exploded view of an embodiment of a bat assemblyin accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates the striking of a ball with an embodiment of anunsymmetrically weighted bat in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates the generation of topspin on a ball struck with anembodiment of an unsymmetrically weighted bat in accordance with thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a method of producing backspin on a ball struck withan embodiment of an unsymmetrically weighted bat in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various aspectsof the present disclosure can be realized by any number of methods andsystems configured to perform the intended functions. Stateddifferently, other methods and systems can be incorporated herein toperform the intended functions. It should also be noted that theaccompanying drawing figures referred to herein are not all drawn toscale, but may be exaggerated to illustrate various aspects of thepresent disclosure, and in that regard, the drawing figures should notbe construed as limiting. Finally, although the present disclosure canbe described in connection with various principles and beliefs, thepresent disclosure should not be bound by theory.

In general, the present disclosure provides a barrel for use in a bat; abat assembly comprising a barrel, an end cap portion and a handleportion; and a ball bat. In various embodiments, these bats may comprisemetal, non-metal, or combinations thereof. The term non-metal as usedherein means composite materials (e.g. graphite, glass, Kevlar®, and thelike) or plastic. In various embodiments, the bats may comprise castmetal. As such, various embodiments of the present disclosure comprise anew design and construction of ball bats that use “non-conventional”metallic materials, namely cast metals. Casting a barrel for use in abat, or casting an entire metal bat, opens up a multitude of enhancementfeatures and different materials of construction for ball bats that arenot possible with conventional wrought metals, or from the conventionalprocesses generally used to make aluminum bats. For example, castingmetal is done with less expensive metal alloys, casting is basically alow-cost, two-stage operation (casting molten metal and ejecting thecast metal object from the mold), casting allows for the molding ofstructural featuring both internally and externally, and casting allowsthe use of unconventional materials that cannot be put throughconventional hot- and cold-metalworking processes.

Today, conventional aluminum bats are made by wrought materials andprocesses involving various combinations of extrusion, hot rolling, colddrawing, swaging and/or butting. Extrusion produces tubes from bar stockor ingots. Swaging is a rotary forming process that changes the diameterand/or shape of the tube. For example, rotary swaging using taperedswage dies can be used to create a taper on an aluminum tube. Butting isanother process that changes the wall-thickness of a tube by pushing themetal tube through a die in a mandrel press, sinking the tube down intothe mandrel, or by using an elaborate draw bench. The cold-working ofmetal generally aligns crystal grains to provide finished products ofvery high strength.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, low-cost castingtechnologies are used to produce a barrel for a bat assembly, or anentire metal bat, with cast metal. This process can create the wallthickness profiles required for BBCOR standards and found in existing“wrought” aluminum bats, but at much lower costs. Although a cast metalobject is typically not as strong as a wrought metal object due to thelack of crystal grain alignment from metal working, one way to meet thenew BBCOR requirement in ball bats is to increase the wall-thickness ofthe bat. Using greater wall thickness in a bat design allows the use oflower specific strength materials.

Casting a hollow metal or non-metal object, as opposed to swage forminga metal tube, also allows for the introduction of internal structuraldetails inside the cast metal object by casting the metal in a moldhaving a removable, dissolvable, or otherwise destroyable core with apattern disposed on it. For example, a raised-rib structure, or otherstructural elements, can be cast on an inner surface to add stiffness ata reduced weight. In this way, a bat comprising cast metal can have thestiffness of a wrought metal bat without having an increased weight. Theintroduction of surface detail on the inner or outer surface of a castbarrel results in a barrel having a non-uniform wall thickness. However,provided the surface detail is symmetrically disposed around the innerand/or outer surface(s), these bats may remain symmetrically weightedwith a center-of-gravity at the central axis. Asymmetrical weighting ofa bat having a non-uniform wall thickness is still possible by the useof a weighted insert.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, these bats may have anon-uniform wall thickness due to the presence of a thicker wall segmentprotruding into the inside, which also provides for unsymmetricalweighting.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a barrel 1 comprising cast metal in accordancewith the present disclosure is illustrated. In various embodiments, thebarrel 1 can comprise non-metals such as composites or plastics. Invarious embodiments, the barrel 1 may be modified into a bat through theaddition of one or more other components (discussed below). The barrel 1comprises a cavity inside to reduce weight. That is, the barrel 1 has ahollow interior. An inner surface defines the boundaries of the cavity.An outer surface of the barrel 1 may comprise regions where a person cangrip and a region where a ball can be struck. The outer surface can besmooth and polished. The distance between the inner surface and theouter surface is the wall thickness of the barrel 1.

The inner surface of barrel 1 can be smooth, and the wall thickness ofthe barrel 1 can be generally uniform at any location. Alternatively,the inner surface of the barrel 1 may comprise at least one structuralelement that projects axially into, and/or radially out from, thecavity. With the presence of structural elements disposed on the innersurface of the barrel 1, the wall thickness is non-uniform. Structuralelements disposed on the inner surface can comprise raised ribs thatprovide strength without the need for an overall thicker wall. Asillustrated, the barrel 1 may include an end cap 101 and an end knob104.

In various embodiments, barrel 1 comprises cast metal of any elementalmetal or any alloy capable of being cast. For example, the barrel 1 maycomprise cast aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, nickel, zinc ormagnesium. In various embodiments, the barrel 1 may comprise castaluminum, magnesium or titanium. In various embodiments, barrel 1comprises cast aluminum. In various embodiments, barrel 1 is cast fromany combination of aluminum alloys suitable for casting. In variousembodiments, titanium, which today can be cast more cost effectively,can also be used. In various embodiments, barrel 1 comprises acomposite. In various embodiments, barrel 1 comprises plastic.

In various embodiments, barrel 1 comprises “metal matrix composite”(MMC). As used herein, MMC means a composite material comprising a metaland a non-metal component, such as a ceramic or an organic material.MMC's are a class of materials that have never been applied to ballbats. Their high specific-stiffness levels would be ideally suited tonew bat designs conforming to the BBCOR standards because the“stiffness” of these materials is generally better than conventionalmetals, although their strength is not. For embodiments of the barrel 1having thicker wall thicknesses, materials such as aluminum oxide(Al₂O₃) or silicon carbide reinforced aluminum can yield morediscretionary weight for a bat assembly that incorporates the barrel 1.In various embodiments, the MMC may comprise a metal alloy cast in thepresence of synthetic or natural fibers. For example, fibers, such ascarbon fibers, can be prepositioned in a mold prior to casting thebarrel 1. Carbon fibers may be incorporated into cast aluminum toproduce a high strength embodiment of barrel 1 comprisingaluminum/carbon MMC.

The barrel 1 comprising cast metal may be cast inside any suitabletemporary, semi-permanent or permanent mold typically used for castingmetals or MMC. For example, sand molds, permanent molds or dies may beused for casting the barrel 1. As discussed, the barrel 1 is hollow, andtherefore the casting or molding process generally requires a “core” tobe used in the mold to create the cavity inside (discussed in moredetail below).

Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross section of an embodiment of a barrel 1in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. The barrel 1comprises a cavity 203. Barrel 1 further comprises inner surface 215that is smooth and outer surface 205 that is smooth. The barrel 1 hasuniform wall thickness y as shown. Due to the lack of structuralelements on inner surface 215, and the round symmetry of the barrel 1,the center-of-gravity A is at the central axis of the barrel 1. Barrel 1may comprise cast metal, non-metal materials, or combinations thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, an embodiment of an asymmetrically weightedbarrel 1, having a non-uniform wall thickness, is illustrated. In FIG.3A, barrel 1 comprises a non-uniform wall thickness due to the presenceof a thicker wall segment 307 projecting into the cavity 203 of thebarrel 1. For example, a thicker wall region may be incorporated in thewall of the barrel when casting a metal or molding a non-metal, suchthat the outer surface of the barrel or bat remains circular but theinner surface has a portion protruding axially into the cavity of thebarrel or the bat. In this way, the asymmetry is permanently moldedinside where it is tamperproof and undetectable as to both its existenceand the orientation that it is placed into during play.

As shown in FIG. 3A, barrel 1 comprises regions of thinner wallthickness y and regions of thicker wall thickness x, and thus it has anon-uniform wall thickness. The thicker wall segment 307 is a region ofthicker material. In various embodiments comprising cast metal, a corehaving a small recess can be used during the casting process to createthe thicker wall segment 307 in the cast metal. The thicker wall segment307 may also comprise an encapsulated weight 308. In variousembodiments, the encapsulated weight 308 can be of similar or differentmaterial than the barrel 1, and it can have any density. In this way,the encapsulated weight 308 can be as heavy as necessary while stillmaintaining any size restrictions. The encapsulated weight 308 canprovide additional weight over what can be achieved just by thickeningthe wall of the barrel 1 at the thicker wall segment 307.

The presence of the thicker wall segment 307, (with or without theencapsulated weight 308) shifts the center-of-gravity of the barrel 1off from the central axis over to position B by distance b, a positioncloser to the thicker wall segment 307. The distance b to which thecenter-of-gravity is shifted is dependent on the mass of theasymmetrical weighting, i.e., the weight of the added thickness inmaterial at thicker wall segment 307 plus the mass of the encapsulatedweight 308 if incorporated. The dimensions of the thicker wall segment307 can vary, for example the thicker wall segment 307 can extend down alongitudinal length of the barrel 1 and it can extend circumferentiallyaround the inner surface 215 of the barrel 1 to any degree (less than360°) as needed.

In various embodiments, the thicker wall segment 307, and encapsulatedweight 308, being internal to the barrel 1, may not be visible outsidethe barrel 1. That is, in various embodiments, the existence ofasymmetrical weighting in the barrel 1 may not be noticeable to a casualobserver. In various embodiments, there may be a marking or otherindicia that allows the player to know where the asymmetrical weightingis located so that the player can orient the barrel 1 in a chosenangular rotation. By using a thicker wall segment on the inside of thebarrel, mass distribution can be altered in a radial or circumferentialdirection, shifting the center-of-gravity of the bat without having thecomplexity and cost of a removable weight (discussed below with FIG.3B).

Referring now to FIG. 3B, another embodiment of asymmetrical weightingin accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. Barrel 1comprises an inner surface 215 that is smooth, and an outer surface 205that is smooth. Without any structural elements disposed on the innersurface 215 or the outer surface 205, the barrel 1 in FIG. 3B has auniform wall thickness. However, barrel 1 is asymmetrically weightedwith a weighted insert 38 disposed in the wall of the barrel 1. Theweighted insert 38 may be placed in a recess disposed on the outersurface 205 of the barrel 1. The presence of weighted insert 38 shiftsthe center-of-gravity of the barrel 1 off of the central axis by adistance c to a new position C that is closer to the weighted insert 38.The distance c to which the center-of-gravity is shifted is dependent onthe mass of the asymmetrical weighting, i.e., the mass of the weightedinsert 38 and any adjustment in weight due to the effect of the recessthat holds the weighted insert 38. The weighted insert 38 may or may notbe visible on the outside of the barrel 1. For example, the weightedinsert 38 may sit flush with the outer surface 205 of the barrel 1 andmay be of the same color in order to obscure its existence.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the present disclosure is directed to a ballbat 100 having a hollow portion or cavity inside. A cavity may be moldedor cast into the ball bat 100 such that ball impact region 402 isthin-walled rather than comprising solid metal or composite. In variousembodiments, the cavity will be inside a majority of the ball impactregion 402. The ball bat 100 comprises an inner surface 215 that definesthe hollow portion inside the bat. In various embodiments, the innersurface 215 in the ball bat 100 comprises raised structural elementsthat project into the cavity. Raised structural elements can comprise atleast one raised rib 43. In various embodiments, the raised structuralelements on the inner surface 215 can be configured in any way thatprovides for structural improvements at reduced weight of the ball bat100. For example, raised structural elements may include crisscrossingrib networks, radially spaced circular ribs, one or more raised internalthreads, and the like.

The presence of raised structural elements on the inner surface 215 ofthe ball bat 100 result in a non-uniform wall thickness. In variousother embodiments, no structural elements are disposed on the innersurface 215, and thus the ball bat 100 has uniform wall thickness. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, ball bat 100 comprises a networkof raised ribs 43, along with recessed interstices 44 located betweenthe raised ribs 43. In other embodiments, the raised ribs 43 can bedisposed in any pattern conducive to strengthening the ball bat 100.Depending on the weight, stiffness, strength and dynamics desired forthe ball bat 100, the raised ribs 43 can be disposed to any height onthe inner surface 215 of the ball bat 100. Additionally, the raised ribs43 can be disposed to extend longitudinally or axially on the innersurface 215 as needed. In various embodiments, the raised ribs 43 maynot cross at all. For example, the raised ribs 43 can comprise onecontinuous raised thread that winds through the ball bat 100 along theinner surface 215.

A dimensionally specific “core” is generally required when casting ametal object having an internal cavity. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, a core, used to create the hollow interior profileof the bat or barrel, can be patterned with recessed ribs that willultimately produce the raised ribs 43 on the inner surface of the bat orbarrel. In casting metal, the core is inserted into the mold prior topouring in the molten metal, optionally held in place as needed by anynumber and design of chaplets. The molten metal flows and solidifiesbetween the mold and the core to form the hollow cast metal objecthaving the internal structure desired. After casting the metal, the coreis removed, or destroyed by any number of destructive measures, to leavebehind the desired internal structure inside the cast metal object.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the core can beunscrewed to leave behind a threaded raised rib, in which case the corecan be reused. In other embodiments, the core may vaporize upon castingof the molten metal, shrink and breakup after the cast metal cools, orit may dissolve upon the addition of a solvent. Cores can be fabricatedfrom, for example, various types of sand, sand aggregates, metals,polymers, plastics, Styrofoam, and the like, any of which can be coatedwith any combination of coatings such as graphite, silica or mica asneeded.

Still referring to FIG. 4, and in addition to the ball impact region402, the ball bat 100 further comprises an end cap region 401, a handleregion 403, and an end knob region 404, any of which may be solid orhollow as needed for a particular bat. The end cap region 401, and/orthe end knob region 404, may be contiguous with the ball impact region402 or may be fabricated onto the ball bat 100 as required. Each of thedescribed regions of the ball bat 100 may or may not be constructed fromthe same material. For example, the ball impact region 402 and handleregion 403 may comprise a single casting of metal, whereas the end capregion 401 and the end knob region 404 may be composite or plasticmaterial added on after casting the main body of the ball bat 100.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of aball bat 100, having structural elements disposed on the inner surface,is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 5, ball bat 100 comprises a cavity 103,an inner surface 215 and outer surface 205. A plurality of raised ribs43 are disposed on the inner surface 215 that project into the cavity203. Recessed interstices 44 are disposed between the raised ribs 43.The wall thickness x measured between any raised rib 43 and the outersurface 205 will be greater than the wall thickness measured between anyrecessed interstice 44 and the outer surface 205. As such, ball bat 100has a non-uniform wall thickness. The plurality of recessed interstices44 can be thought of as “removed metal.” In other words, by having theserecessed interstices 44, which are portions of thinner bat wallthickness, a ball bat 100 having lighter weight is achieved incomparison to a bat having a uniform wall thickness equal to x. In thisway, the ball bat 100 is stiffened by the presence of the structuralelements with concomitant reduction in weight.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a barrel 1 in accordance with the presentdisclosure comprises a first open end 60 and a second open end 70.Barrel 1 may comprise cast metal as discussed above. The first endprofile and second end profile are substantially circular, and thus thediameter of first open end 60 is greater than the diameter of the secondopen end 70, resulting in a taper to the barrel 1. In some embodiments,disposed on each end profile are structural features that assist insecurely fastening the barrel 1 to other components at each open end,such as, for example, components that make up a bat assembly. In thisway, the barrel 1 can comprise, at least in part, the ball impact regiondiscussed above. For example, first open end 60 can comprise at leastone first end aperture 6 that can accept a similarly sized protrusiondisposed on an end of a component designed to fasten into first open end60. In various embodiments, other configurations of features on the endsof the barrel 1 may be used to secure other components to the barrel 1.

In various embodiments, several first end apertures 6 up to a pluralityof first end apertures 6 are circumferentially disposed around thebarrel 1 proximate to the first open end 60, through the entirethickness of the barrel wall. Similarly, second open end 70 comprises atleast one second end aperture 7 disposed proximate to the second openend 70. In various embodiments, several second end apertures 7 up to aplurality of second end apertures 7 are circumferentially disposedaround the barrel 1 proximate to the second open end 70, through theentire thickness of the barrel wall. Second end apertures 7 can be sizedand positioned to accept solid, softened, deformable or molten material,for example, from a portion of a component designed to fasten intosecond open end 70. Any number and configuration of first end apertures6 and second end apertures 7 are within the scope of the presentdisclosure depending on the nature and configuration of the componentsto fit into the ends of barrel 1, such as if the components are hollowor solid, and what the materials of construction are. In variousembodiments, depressions disposed on the inside surface of the barrel 1can accommodate similarly sized protrusions disposed on an externalsurface of a connecting component. In other embodiments, protrusions ona connecting component may snap into complementary sized apertures inthe barrel 1. In some embodiments, apertures can have an opening facinglongitudinally out from the barrel 1 to accept a complementary featurefrom another component.

Still referring to FIG. 6, the barrel 1 further comprises a recess 4shaped to accept a weighted insert. Depending on how the barrel 1 isfabricated, such as by the casting of metal, the recess 4 may be formedat the time the barrel is formed, or it may be fabricated into thebarrel at any other time. The recess 4 can be of any shape, and caninclude any number of holes 5 to accommodate screws or other fastenerssuch as rivets used to secure the weighted insert into the recess 4. Insome embodiments, threaded fasteners allow for a weighted insert to beremovable from the recess 4 whenever desired, for example to exchange itfor a heavier or lighter weighted insert of the same shape. In otherembodiments, the weighted insert can be friction fit into the recess 4,such as for example, by a snap or press fit, obviating the need forholes 5. The depth of the recess 4 is configured to be substantiallycomplementary to the thickness of the weighted insert, such as forexample to hold the weighted insert substantially flush with the outersurface 205 of the barrel 1 when the weighted insert is secured therein.

As discussed above in the context of both a ball bat and barrel, thebarrel 1 of FIG. 6 may further comprises raised ribs 43 or other raisedstructural elements disposed on the inner surface, some of which may ormay not be visible through the recess 4 when the weighted insert is notpresent.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of anasymmetrically weighted barrel 1 in accordance with the presentdisclosure is illustrated. Barrel 1 comprises a cavity 203, an innersurface 215 and an outer surface 205. A plurality of raised ribs 43 aredisposed on the inner surface 215 projecting into the cavity 203. Assuch, the barrel 1 has a non-uniform wall thickness. In various otherembodiments, the barrel 1 may not have internal structural elements andmay have a uniform wall thickness. For the embodiment depicted in FIG.7, the barrel 1 comprises a weighted insert 38 mounted for example intoa recess disposed in the outer surface 205 of the barrel 1.

As discussed above, the presence of a weighted insert 38 results inasymmetrical weighting of the barrel 1. In this case, the weightedinsert 38 shifts the center-of-gravity of the barrel 1 to D, a shiftfrom the central axis by a distance d toward the weighted insert 38.This illustrated embodiment thus features (a) stiffening due to theraised ribs 43; (2) a lighter design than a thicker cast or wroughtmetal barrel due to the presence of the recessed interstices 44 thatequate to thinner wall regions; and (3) asymmetrical weighting due tothe presence of the weighted insert 38.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a bat assembly 800 in accordance with thepresent disclosure is illustrated. The bat assembly comprises a barrel1, an end cap 30 and a handle 50. In various embodiments, the batassembly 800 further comprises an end knob 40. In some embodiments, thebarrel 1 can be the barrel depicted in FIGS. 1-3 and 6-7, with orwithout surface elements on the inner surface. The end knob 40 may beintegral with the handle 50 rather than attached as a separatecomponent.

Still referring to FIG. 8, bat assembly 800 further comprises a weightedinsert 38 that can be reversibly or irreversibly attached into a recess4 disposed in the barrel 1, and/or in any other component of the batassembly 800. The weighted insert 38 may be fabricated of any metal,plastic or composite material. In various embodiments, the weightedinsert 38 may comprise tungsten. The mass of the weighted insert 38 canbe from about 50 grams to about 500 grams. In various embodiments, theweighted insert 38 has a mass of from 150 grams to about 200 grams. Invarious embodiments, the weighted insert 38 has a mass of around 170-180grams. In various embodiments, the weighted insert 38 weighs about 179grams. The weighted insert 38 may be secured into the recess 4 with anynumber of screws 9 or other suitable fasteners. As discussed above, invarious embodiments the weighted insert 38 is fabricated to havecomplementary shape and dimensions to the recess 4 such that theweighted insert 38 can sit flush into the recess 4 when secured therein.

Still referring to FIG. 8, the end cap 30, handle 50 and end knob 40 maybe constructed of any material, including for example, metals, carbonfiber, plastics or composites. In various embodiments, the barrel 1comprises cast metal, such as for example, cast aluminum. In variousembodiments, the end cap 30 and handle 50 comprise carbon fiber. Ahandle 50 comprising carbon provides desired stiffness at a lowerweight, excellent damping, and complies with the new BBCORspecifications. An end cap 30 comprising carbon helps lower the overallmoment of inertia (“MOI”) value as weight positioned at the end of thebat is the most critical and helps create a “tamper proof” bat forcompliance with the ABI standards. In various embodiments, any of thesecomponents may be constructed from injection molded plastics, such asfor example, Torlon®.

With further reference to FIG. 8, the end cap 30 has external surfacedetailing 35 circumferentially disposed around an end 32 that cancoordinate with complementary features 65 disposed around a larger openend of the barrel 1. In this way, the end 32 of the end cap 30 can besecurely fastened into the larger open end of the barrel 1, with thefeatures 65 locking into the surface detailing 35. Similarly, features75 are disposed around a smaller open end of the barrel 1 that can lockinto complementary surface detailing 55 disposed around an end 52 of thehandle 50. When the end 52 of the handle 50 is inserted into the largeropen end of the barrel 1, the features 75 can lock into the externalsurface detailing 55 on the handle 50.

In various embodiments, the male/female type connection between the endcap 30 and the larger open end of the barrel 1, and the male/female typeconnection between the handle 50 and the smaller open end of the barrel1, can be strengthened by any means necessary to ensure the safety,tamper-proof characteristics, integrity and performance of the batassembly 800. For example, the connections between components can besecured with any combination of tight friction fit, locking arrangements(e.g. protrusion snapping into a complementary slot, recess oraperture), adhesives, and heating. Through use of these methods, the batassembly 800 can be made tamperproof, discouraging modification when insporting use.

In various embodiments, the weight of the end cap 30 can be from about40 grams to about 70 grams, such as for example, about 57 grams. Theweight of the barrel 1, without the weighted insert 38, can be fromabout 250 grams to about 500 grams, such as for example, about 283grams. The weight of the handle 50 can be from about 250 to about 500grams, such as for example, about 274 grams. The weight of an end knob40 can be from about 1 to about 50 grams, such as for example, about21.7 grams. The weight of three screws 9 can be from about 0.5 to about1 gram, such as for example, about 0.7 grams.

Given these weights for the various components, bat assembly 800 can betargeted to weigh about 815 grams (about 28.75 oz.) in total. With a batlength of about 33 inches, the MOI for the bat assembly 800 is about9,250 oz-in². The current NCAA minimum MOI is 8,538 oz-in². In regardsto the present disclosure, MOI is readily changed by switching out theweighted insert 38 with other weights.

Thus in various embodiments, the asymmetrical weighting of bat assembly800 is adjustable by changing to a weighted insert 38 of differentweight. Given the ranges in weight for the weighted insert 38 and thebarrel 1 discussed, d (in FIG. 7) can be from about 0.25 inches to about0.75 inches. For a specific embodiment that includes a barrel 1 of castmetal weighing of about 283 grams, and a weighted insert 38 weighing ofabout 179 grams, d will be about 0.44 inches. Since the weight of thebarrel 1 is fixed, location of the center of gravity can be adjusted asneeded for a particular situation during play by switching out theweighted insert 38 for another weight.

Use of various weights can be “pitcher specific,” changed to accommodatea particular ball pitcher in the game, or “situation specific,” changedto make a particular hit as needed in a game. As discussed in moredetail below, players using a ball bat in accordance with the presentdisclosure can now rotate and position the bat to place a specific spinand trajectory on the struck ball, depending upon the particularcircumstances during the game.

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate the various ways an asymmetrical bat canbe angularly orientated to produce various spin effects and trajectoriesfor a struck ball. FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show cross-sections of threepossible impact positions and the resulting change in center-of-gravityalignment that these scenarios produce. The use of a weighted insert 38as discussed above allows the bat to have adjustable MOI profiles,balance point (BP), and spin characteristics, all throughcenter-of-gravity manipulation.

When referring to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, it is understood that the term“asymmetrical bat” or “asymmetrically weighted bat” broadly refer to anyone of: (i) a ball bat having a weighted insert recessed into a portionof it; (ii) a ball bat having a thicker wall segment; (iii) a batassembly comprising an asymmetrically weighted barrel having a weightedinsert recessed into a portion of the barrel; and (iv) a bat assemblycomprising an asymmetrically weighted barrel having a thicker wallsegment in the barrel.

As a background, the loss of high rebound velocity thin-walled bats inthe games of baseball and softball due to new regulations has reducedthe number of home runs and has created a corresponding need to scoreruns through what is commonly referred to as “small ball.” Small ball isa strategy in baseball and softball that focuses on singles, walks, basehits, and bunts to score runs, a strategy that ultimately requires thebatter to increase the odds of hitting a ground ball (e.g., in a hit andrun situation) or a fly ball (e.g., for a sacrifice fly to score or movea runner), when needed.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the effect of striking the ball with anasymmetrically weighted bat held in a neutral position is illustrated.The cross section of the barrel 1 shows that the weighted insert 38 ispositioned opposite the ball 20 to be struck. During play, the batterwould hold the asymmetrically weighted bat such that the weighted insert38 is pointing behind home plate. In this way the ball 20 will be struckwith an outer face of the bat opposite the weighted insert 38. Thecenter-of-gravity “D” of the barrel 1 and center-of-gravity “E” of theball 20 align on an axis tilted 9.25° from horizontal, representing atypical swing path angle of the bat. With the ball 20 struck in thismanner, no additional “CG-induced” spin will be imparted and thetrajectory of the ball 20 will be 9.25° from horizontal out into theplaying field. Additionally, if the ball 20 is struck against theweighted insert 38, (i.e., with the weighted insert 38 oriented towardthe pitcher), a “dead bat” (i.e. less rebound velocity) bunt having nospin will result.

Referring now to FIG. 10, topspin “D” can be imparted on the ball 20when the bat is held in the angular orientation where the weightedinsert 38 is on top of the bat during impact. Traditionally, to puttopspin on the ball, and to hit a groundball rather than a fly ball, theball would need to be struck off the bottom of the bat, a situation thatproduces poor rebound velocity. On the other hand, with anasymmetrically weighted bat, the center of the ball 20 can be squarelystruck, yet topspin can still be generated because of the angularorientation of the weighted insert 38. As illustrated in FIG. 10, aswing path angle of 9.25° fails to align the center-of-gravity of thebat “D” with the center-of-gravity of the ball “E.” The CG's are“misaligned” by a distance “x,” such as by 0.44 inches as discussedabove, generating topspin on the struck ball and the likelihood of aground ball.

Referring now to FIG. 11, backspin “G” can be imparted on the ball 20when the bat is held in the angular orientation where the weightedinsert 38 is at the bottom of the bat during impact. Traditionally, toput backspin on the ball, and to hit a fly ball rather than agroundball, the ball would need to be struck off the top of the bat, asituation that produces poor rebound velocity. On the other hand, withan asymmetrically weighted bat, the center of the ball 20 can besquarely struck, yet backspin can still be generated because of theangular orientation of the weighted insert 38. As illustrated in FIG.11, a swing path angle of 9.25° fails to align the center-of-gravity ofthe bat “D” with the center-of-gravity of the ball “E.” The CG's are“misaligned” by the distance “x,” such as by 0.44 inches as discussedabove, generating backspin on the struck ball and the likelihood of afly ball.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9-11, control over the spin and trajectory ofthe struck ball is possible even when impacting the ball squarely withmaximum efficiency. By controlling the angular orientation of a weightedinsert when striking the ball, the batter controls whether to impart nospin, topspin or backspin on the ball, and can help choose whether tohit a groundball or a fly ball, or to bunt the ball.

FIGS. 9-11 should not be construed as inferring that there may be onlythree angular orientations in which an asymmetrically weighted bat ofthe present disclosure can be used. Actually, there are an infinitenumber of angular orientations for an asymmetrically weighted bat.Furthermore, there are an infinite number of ways to strike the ballrather than squarely. Thus, there are infinite combinations of batorientation, ball-bat alignment, and swing angle.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present disclosurewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, itis intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications andvariations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

Likewise, numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth inthe preceding description, including various alternatives together withdetails of the structure and function of the devices and/or methods. Thedisclosure is intended as illustrative only and as such is not intendedto be exhaustive. It will be evident to those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications can be made, especially in matters of structure,materials, elements, components, shape, size and arrangement of partsincluding combinations within the principles of the disclosure, to thefull extent indicated by the broad, general meaning of the terms inwhich the appended claims are expressed. To the extent that thesevarious modifications do not depart from the spirit and scope of theappended claims, they are intended to be encompassed therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bat comprising: a one piece handle and barrel,the barrel having a wall with a receiving aperture at one end; thebarrel having a longitudinally non-uniform wall thickness with anasymmetric center of gravity position localized in a barrel impactregion; and an end cap affixed to the barrel by extending through the atleast one receiving aperture proximate the second open end.
 2. The batof claim 1, further comprising an off-center weight encapsulated withinthe barrel impact region of the wall of the barrel.
 3. The bat of claim1, wherein the off-center weight has a density different than the wallof the barrel that creates
 4. The bat of claim 1, further comprisingstructural elements disposed on an inner surface of the barrel.
 5. Thebat of claim 4, wherein the structural elements comprisenon-longitudinal raised ribs and recessed interstices.
 6. The bat ofclaim 1, wherein the barrel comprises at least one of a non-metal and ametal.
 7. The bat of claim 1, further comprising several first endapertures disposed circumferentially around the barrel proximate to thereceiving aperture.
 8. The bat of claim 1, wherein the barrel comprisesat least one of aluminum, magnesium, titanium, composite and plastic. 9.The bat of claim 5, wherein the recessed interstices have a uniform wallthickness.
 10. The bat of claim 1, further comprising an end knobdisposed on said handle.
 11. The bat of claim 10, wherein the end knobis contiguous with said handle.
 12. The bat of claim 10, wherein the endknob is fabricated to said handle.
 13. The bat of claim 1, wherein thehandle and barrel comprise a hollow monolithic cast metal material. 14.The bat of claim 1, wherein the handle and barrel comprise a hollownon-metal material.
 15. The bat of claim 1, wherein the handle andbarrel comprise a hollow composite material.
 16. A bat comprising a onepiece handle and barrel and end cap, the barrel having a longitudinallynon-uniform wall thickness with an asymmetric center of gravity positionlocalized in a barrel impact region.
 17. The bat of claim 16, furthercomprising an off-center weight encapsulated within the barrel impactregion of the wall of the barrel.
 18. The bat of claim 16, wherein theoff-center weight has a density different than the wall of the barrelthat creates
 19. The bat of claim 16, further comprising structuralelements disposed on an inner surface of the barrel.
 20. The bat ofclaim 19, wherein the structural elements comprise non-longitudinalraised ribs and recessed interstices.